Envelop and fastener therefor.



G. H. FAHRENBRUCH.

ENVELOP AND FASTENER THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, I918.

1 2@@,69% Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

OFFICIAL BUSINESS GEORGE H. FAHRENBRUOH, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

.ENVELOP AND FASTENER THEREFOR.

1 '0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. FAHRnN- BRUCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain.

new and useful Improvements in Envelops and Fasteners Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My'invention relates to a new and useful improvement in envelop fasteners, wherein a part of the blank from which the fastener is cut may also be used on envelops of the window or display type.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fastener that may be made in quantities from a blank strip, which strip may be fed through a machine to a set of dies, so that the fastener will be one that is relatively cheap to manufacture.

Still another ob e'ct of my invention is toprovide a fastener that may be quickly and readily assembled and perform the desired function. I

Still another object of my invention is to form the fastener out of a blank strip, and part of the strip serve for a reinforcement for a window envelop, and especially an envelop that is to be used on official business so that the envelop may be used a plurality of times, it necessitating no address and of course no postage stamp.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in certain new and novel construction and formation of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the dralwings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank strip, showing the proposed outlines for the fastener as it is punched out by the dies;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of an envelop with the improved fastener in its locked position and showing a reinforced opening or winthe body of the envelop and pass the metal dow;

Fig. 3 is an exaggerated enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a rearview of a portion of an envelop with the improved fastener in position, but the envelop in its open position;

Fig. 5 is a detail View of a portion of the fastening mechanism that is secured to the outer flap of the envelop;

Fig. 6 is also a detail view of the reinforcing strip that is secured to the inner portion of the body of the envelop;

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application fi1ed April 27, 1918. Serial No. 231,076.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of a metal strip that acts as the locking member, and

Fig. 8 1s a front view of an envelop having a window portion and reinforced by the port1on of the blank strip from which the fastener is cut.

Referring now to the drawings, a blank strip 1 is shown, which is preferably made of cardboard or laminated paper, which is to be fed to a set of dies so that a rectangusurface of the rear part of the envelop 5, as

clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The portion 3 is pasted or otherwise secured to the outer surface of the flap 6 of the envelop. A short metal strip 7 is then passed through a slit 8 directly beneath the strip 4 and tightly clamped to the said strip 4, so that the metal strip is by this binding action tightly held in place. The upper portion 9 of this strip 7 is adapted to pass through a slit 10 formed directly above a cut-out portion 11 of the portion 3. To fasten the envelop all that is necessary is to bend the portion 9 of the strip 7 slightly upwardly until it passes through the slot 10, and then bend it downwardly so that it will tightly clam against the outer surface of ghe locking ap portion 3 as shown in Figs.

and 3.

This fastener may be used on any style of envelop and it will be seen that there is only one piece of metal used, the remaining por tions'being card-board. It is relatively an easy matter to simply place the locking flap portion 3 on the flap 6, place the strip 4: on

same requiring no postage stamp, the envelop may .be used over a good many times until the same becomes mutilated or torn from service, and by its many uses will of course provide a great saving.

It will therefore be seen thatby making a fastener out of a blank of this kind a portion of the blank may be used as a reinforcement for an opening or window, and the remaining portions used as a fastening means for the envelop, with one portion left over, which may be used on another envelop.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let.- ters Patent is 1. A fastener for an envelop comprising a blank, a locking flap portion cut from said blank and a strip also cut from said blank, one portion to be'used on the flap of the envelop and the other portion to be used on the body of the envelop, and a metal strip secured to one of said portions and adapted to be forced downwardly and hold the other of said portions.

2. An envelop fastener comprising a strip of material secured to the inner surface of the body of the envelop, a metal member clamped around said strip and having an upwardly protruding tongue, an arrowheadshaped'portion secured to the flap of the envelop, the point extending downwardly when the flap is closed and said tongue adapted to be bent downwardly toward the point of said arrowhead-shaped portion.

3. An envelop fastener comprising a reinforcing strip struck from a blank of cardboard, and an arrowhead shaped portion struck from said blank, and a metal strip adapted to be clamped around said reinforcing strip and to cooperate with the arrowhead-shaped portion when the fastener is in "its closed position. i

4. An envelop fastener comprising a pointed member and said member having a central rear portion removed therefrom, said pointed member being secured to the outer flap of an envelop, a reinforcing strip se cured to the inner surface of the body of the envelop and extending parallel to the top of said envelop, a metal strip adapted to be tightly clamped around said reinforcing strip and having a flexible tongue of substantially the same width as the rear central opening formed in the pointed member adapted to pass through the flap of said envelop and extend through the cut-out portion of the pointed member and be pressed downwardly to thereby lock the envelop.

5. An envelop fastener struck from a blank of material comprising a rectangular portion to be pasted on the front of an envelop provided with an opening in the face thereof, a pointed member and a strip to be. struck from the central portion of said blank, the pointed portion adapted to be secured to the outside of the flap of an envelop and the strip portion to be secured to the body of the envelop, and a metal band clamped to said strip and adapted to cooperate with said pointed member when forced downwardly to thereby lock said envelop.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE H. FAHRENBRUCH. 

